It is possible to get sick all year long but the winter season is when most people seem to get knocked out by an illness. The fluctuating winter temperatures certainly don’t help. One of the best ways to stave off the many sick days is to take care of yourself and your immunity system.
The folks at COLD-FX hosted a light lunch with Toronto-based preventative health expert Dr. Vivian Brown to talk about natural ways to boost your immunity system during the winter months and all year round. Here are 7 of those ideas that we incorporate in our home:
Eat a Rainbow. Variety really is the spice of life when it comes to adding different fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. Bright coloured fruits and vegetables like blueberries, raspberries, eggplant and purple kale, are full of antioxidants to protect your cells from damage.
Additional Reading: 39 Blueberry Recipes
Wash Your Hands. Shopping carts, door handles, kids’ hands, we come in contact with a lot of places bacteria and germs can linger even if your hands look clean. According to the CDC “Handwashing is easy to do and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings”
Take Care of Your Teeth
. Oral health is also important when it comes to your overall health. Brushing your teeth not only fights plaque and bad breath, it can also help keep the cold and flu at bay. But, according to Dr. Brown, don’t forget to change your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months and right after suffering from a cold or flu.
Avoid Added Sugar. Those potato chips and pint of lager may taste great but they could also be working against you when it comes to keeping your immunity up.
Additional Reading: Tasty Ways to Boost Your Immunity
Stay Hydrated. Water is an amazing resource to aid in better health and we’re fortunate enough to live in a country where it is accessible. Use it, drink it, and try to consume at least two glasses outside of mealtime.
Enjoy a Restful Sleep. I often tell my kids who want to stay up late that nighttime is when the body rejuvenates itself. While you rest it works to repair cuts, grow hair, heal bruises and fight colds.
Additional Reading: 5 Easy Luxuries to Treat Your Family
Try Supplements. According to data provided by COLD FX, you can boost your immunity by taking Vitamin D (2,000 IU daily), Vitamin C (1,000 mg in divided doses), Magnesium (200 mg in the evening), and a multivitamin as a good source of trace minerals such as zinc.
Many people may know COLD-FX as the natural supplement you take at the onset of a cold but it seems the product, the original product, is designed as a immunity supplement to be taken daily during the cold and flu season. It won’t eliminate the cold or flu but it is “clinically proven to help reduce frequency, severity & duration of cold and flu symptoms by boosting the immune system.
For those past the cold avoidance stage, COLD-FX has a new formulation, COLD-FX First Signs, that you take as soon as you feel a cold coming on. As luck would have it my husband offered the perfect test environment in his own body, having just . The product consists of a lemony powder you mix in your hot water, 3 daytime packets per day every 4-6 hours and 1 nighttime packet 30-60 minutes before bed.
His cold didn’t go away but it certainly didn’t progress, something that usually happens with my husband as work often interferes with his ability to take care of his immunity naturally. It didn’t taste the best, in his opinion, but it did help and I like the fact that it is a natural product.